SG: In search of the perfect cafe

Never gonna be a Ronin sandwich (the god of sandwiches) but this will do when I'm too lazy to head out from the East. Generous with the cheese and the bread is crusty. Add pastrami for $3.

Every fnb outlet needs a star dish and to me this is definitely what I keep coming back for. The butter sauce is very rich but the acidity from the lemon keeps it from being too jelak (cloying). Quite a sizeable portion of pasta, and generous with the crabmeat too. They've recently opened an annex so it's not as difficult to get a table now, but I still find the main building more charming.
🚙: Plentiful but expensive gantry parking available in the school compound (unsheltered)

Basically a plain croissant in mushroom cream sauce /soup, with truffle oil. The croissant obviously gets all soggy as it soaks up the sauce, so it's not my top pick from their creative croissant menu, but it does have its charm, usually on rainy days.

Post lockdown, they've actually increased the price of their cream puffs from $4.50 to $5.50! But I guess it's still the best in sg....

Legit the best sandwich in the world (and I despise sandwiches as a rule). I used to have this weekly as Ronin cafe was near my office, but then tragedy struck when Ronin closed. Due to the current circuit breaker, Gather (same owner) has thankfully resurrected this thing of beauty. Please keep it on the menu forever! 🙏🙏.
💡 : The bread doesn't really survive takeout / delivery well, so best to put it in the toaster oven for a bit before eating.

Not exactly a cafe, more like a restaurant with a cosy cafe vibe, with couches and indoor greenery. Huge variety of local style drinks available so you're not limited to the usual angmo cafe drinks. Fantastic addition to the East. Try the food too!

8 bucks for this stuff is insane, but so are the new limited edition coffee spheres.
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Ps. Can ignorant food bloggers stop calling them boba pearls? They are not solid tapioca pearls found in bubble tea, but mini ikura-sized spheres that release delightful bursts of coffee when you bite into them (a la ferran adria?)
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Pps. Don't judge me for this caramel monstrosity, I usually drink my coffee hot, in espresso form. But coffee spheres!

The SUP version of the croque Madame is.... Strange. Granted, there are a lot of variations of this ham and cheese sandwich, but the tangy tomato hollandaise is just way too bizarre. Also the cheese is cheddar which doesn't provide a counterpoint to the already salty parma ham. It was edible.... But I wouldn't order it again. Ps. My favorite croque monsieur is at Roast cafe in Bangkok.

My favorite dish here and a stellar example of "simple food done well". Only 3 ingredients coming together perfectly, and a splash of truffle oil for the luxe factor.
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🚗 : limited parking outside the shop

After the tragic demise of wa cafe Chinatown point, I found this cosy cafe near my office for my Matcha latte fix. Unfortunately the food here is too healthy for my taste, especially after they recently removed rice bowls from the menu (except for salmon rice bowl which I hate). Can't have it all I guess!
🚇 : Chinatown MRT

Tasty roasted pork bowl but the "meat" was 90% fat, even fat-loving me found this dish too jelak. Second visit here and so far I would say the localised cafe food they offer is hit or miss - hae bee hiam pasta $17.90+ has no HBH at all, more like a chilli oil pasta. Muar otah toast $15.90+ is great, but the walnut bread that they serve it on is too hard for me (would prefer a softer bread like Brioche). But the drinks are unique (I like the Matchaccino), it's in my hood, and has a more local clientele vs. Baker & Cook at the other end of the block.
🚗 : parking very limited due to residential (landed houses) location.
💡 : you can get small discounts ($2-5) if you order via the eatsy app.

3 fluffy blueberry pancakes with an assortment of fruity bits. Feeds 2 pax really. I generally like the food here but the espressos are unpleasantly acidic so I would advise sticking to milk based coffees such as flat white.

💡off-topic: espressos at stamping ground nearby are the best in the hood but the food is meh, i get so conflicted on weekends #firstworldproblems

🚗 : on Sundays you can park along single yellow line on opposite side of the road. Otherwise, parking is a bitch (unless of course you are a true Eastie who knows all the secret spots #sorrynotsorry)